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Published on: June 2, 2014
MTHFR 677C->T and ACE D/I polymorphisms and migraine attack frequency in women
M Schürks1, R Y L Zee, J E Buring
1Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02215-1204, USA. mschuerks@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|August 14, 2009
Summary
The MTHFR 677TT genotype was linked to a lower risk of migraine with aura, specifically for less frequent attacks. The ACE D/I polymorphism showed no clear association with migraine attack frequency.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Migraine severity, often measured by attack frequency, is a significant health concern.
- Limited data exists on the association between specific genetic polymorphisms, MTHFR 677C→T and ACE D/I, and migraine attack frequency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between MTHFR 677C→T and ACE D/I polymorphisms and migraine severity (attack frequency).
Main Methods:
- An association study was conducted using data from 24,961 women in the Women's Health Study.
- Migraine, aura status, and attack frequency were self-reported.
- Multinomial logistic regression analyzed genotype-migraine associations in 3186 migraineurs.
Main Results:
- The MTHFR 677TT genotype showed an association with a reduced risk for migraine with aura (MA), particularly for attacks occurring less than six times per year (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.61, 0.99).
- No specific association pattern was found for the ACE D/I polymorphism with attack frequency in either migraine with aura (MA) or migraine without aura (MoA).
Conclusions:
- The MTHFR 677TT genotype may play a role in reducing the risk of less frequent migraine with aura.
- The ACE D/I polymorphism does not appear to be significantly associated with migraine attack frequency.
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